Achieve a more focused feature: a blueprint for nimble video production

March 19, 2018

Balance your video production workflow with Airtable Blocks.

You've translated your script into an intricately choreographed shoot schedule; now you need to get your players in line. Taking multiple scenes from zero to final edit hinges on expert coordination—juggling equipment, crew, and down-to-the-minute timing.

Master production day by keeping targets in sight and automating away the most tedious items on your to-do list.

Airtable Blocks can take tasks like updating shoot schedules and giving your team the latest shot details off your plate, allowing you to focus on smart planning up front, and smooth execution when shoot day rolls around.

Visualize your shoot dates

Getting a handle on timing for your next set of shoots is essential for executing everything according to plan. Add a timeline block to see the spread of shoot dates over time, and quickly reference any updates to your schedule.

Step 1: Add a timeline block.

Open the blocks menu, click the add a block option, and add a timeline block to your base. You'll want to point the table field toward one that includes your shoot dates. Choose a view that corresponds to the set of dates you'd like to visualize over time—this could be a view containing the shoot dates for every scene in your table, or a filtered view containing just the content produced for a specific video.

Step 2: Adjust the timeline range and colors.

Choose your preferred start and end date fields. Above, we've selected the earliest and latest shoot dates associated with each scene. You can customize the color of the records on the timeline, too—try coloring according to the shot status or location.

Update your entire production schedule at once

No more updating each individual shoot date for a project when logistics change. Use the batch update block to push a series of dates forward or back by any increment you choose. You can also alter a set of dates to a specific date and time, or remove dates altogether.

Step 1: Choose a set of records and make a view.

Create a filtered view that contains only the records you'd like to edit as a group. You might choose only the set of shots for a particular scene or video, for instance.

Step 2: Add a batch update block.

Go to the blocks menu and select the add a block option, then add a batch update block to your base. Then select the table and filtered view that you just set up.

Step 3: Set up editing rules.

You can specify one or multiple actions you want to trigger with a single click. Select the field you want to update and the action you want to take. In the example above, one day will be added to the shoot date for every shot in the specified view.

Create shot lists automatically

Make sure everyone on your production team has the most up-to-date shot list in their hands. Leverage the page designer block to pull in your latest shoot info and format it into a print-ready, itemized list. (Tip: You can repeat the process to generate call sheets, too!)

Step 1: Add a page designer block.

Select the add a block option in the blocks menu, and add a new page designer block to your base. Make sure to pick the correct table and view. You should select the custom page size and input the dimensions that you'll need for your assets.

Step 2: Design your slide template.

Choose what information you want to include on each page. You can drag and drop elements onto the page, tweak fonts and colors, and otherwise adjust according to your aesthetics to make a great template page for your shot lists.

Step 3: Print your shot lists or export them into a shareable PDF.

When it's time to share shot lists with stakeholders, you can quickly print or create PDFs from the relevant records.

Text your team the latest updates

When schedules shift or locations change, keeping everyone on the same page is crucial for efficient production. The send SMS block offers a quick way to update a given team without the hassle of looking up and adding their contact details one by one.

Step 1: Create a filtered view.

Unless you want to contact your entire staff at once, make sure to create a new grid view, then apply as many filters as you need to get a view that only shows the people you want to message. Try a filter that will only show staff members on one particular team, or a filter that will only show people working on a specific project.

Step 2: Add a send SMS block to your base.

Note that you'll also need a Twilio API key in order to use this block. To add a send SMS block, just open up the blocks menu, click the add a block option, and add a new send SMS block to your base. Go through the setup process, picking the appropriate table and view and entering your Twilio API key. Then compose a message that you want to send, including the relevant promo code. Remember that you can use curly brackets to take information from fields and put it into your message.

Step 3: Send out the message.

Whenever you want to send out your mass message, just press the send button!